Story: Night and Day
This is a tale of the realm of Draka, the enroaching power of The Night and its army of Slashers, and the quest to bring light back to the land once more. Prologue There have always been counterparts, ever since the world began. Whether they were physical opposites or moral ones, they always drew a presence over existence. Most were seemingly trivial. Others had importance to us. And a few - a glorious few - led our very lives. I believe that we also knew it, even if we thought that we did not. For the most part, we were always laughing and dancing, no matter the circumstances., because it was life and we enjoyed it. Nobody can keep that up without something driving us on. When we are washed away into a sea of troubles, we just need a little foothold to help us and keep our heads above the water. Without it, we sink and fade away. So, in the corners of our minds, we must have known, because otherwise we would not have stayed afloat. Now, though, it is clear that the waves were too strong. We prospered for hundreds of generations, because we had that knowledge in mind, of eternal counterparts, which ones to choose and those to give up. Our choices mattered, and we honored them with gifts and splendor everyday. Everything mattered. But that was such a long time ago. How long has it been now - fifty, sixty years? It's difficult to keep track. Our heads were once clear, but fatigue now creeps into our skulls in every waking hour. Not without good reason, mind you. Tragedy can do that to everyone. However long it has been, we must never forget, even though it had been foretold. That fateful day almost illustrates the definition of infamy itself. A switch flipped, and just like that, we had fallen down. When the sun rose for the last time upon the realm, we knew nothing about the coming catastrophes. They say that ignorance is bliss, and I'm sure most of us would choose to return to that moment, where nobody knew what would lie ahead. If we knew back then, we might have savored the light a little more. When the Night arrived in Heliopolis, we were not sure what to make of it at first. The billowing mass of soot and ash rolled over the mountainside, and we all stopped to look at it. Nobody had seen such phenomena before. It must have taken some vast body of magic to accomplish it. From behind it, we could see a cloud of flying dragons that followed the smoke, massing tens of thousands. It made the whole spectacle seem like a saviour was descending upon the land. Then the screams began. It was more terrifying than any of us could have imagined in our wildest dreams. It had been foretold before, but none of us cared because our friends and family were dying around us, killed by slashing claws and falling debris. Everything that we had loved and cherished was lost in that very instant. Nobody knew what a Slasher was until that day. We don't know their real name, if they even had one. But the entire species arrived, and the way they threw themselves at the populace and at the city seemed apt enough for a proper description. Innumerable numbers of serial killers flew into our lives and began the slaughter. It was their purpose to murder and main and strike fear - and, drenched in blood, they were there to enjoy it all. The Night had commanded them, of course. The cloud of dragons wasn't the only worry. Fire and sparks shot out from the immense ball of smoke, shattering buildings and setting alight the plains. A glowing bolt of lightning shot straight into the heart of the Sun Tower. Eternity, harmony, and everlasting peace was shattered in a single blow. Order had broken apart and chaos ruled. The cries rang out: "The night! The night! Skolos has come upon us!" On that day, we changed counterparts, and we could have done nothing to stop it from happening. After Heliopolis lay in ruins, the Slashers spread out to wreak havoc upon the rest of the realm. Who knows how many lost their lives back then, while saving a friend or protecting their country. May they forever rest in peace, and be relieved of the horrors that the rest of us bear every living moment. Of course, I have said many times that it had been foretold. The battle between the essences of good and evil raged on, and in every one of our prophecies, a victory of evil had been predicted. But it would only be temporary. Once the shock had resided, and we were comfortable as we could be in the vestige of our former life, we turned back to the prophecies and had hope. One day, good would have the upper hand once more, and reign victorious. But when that would happen was another matter. Until then, we live in fear, hiding away from the Slashers which always patrol. They serve the Night, and will kill for fun. What the Night itself does, now that it possesses supreme control over the realm - well, we have no answer. For now, we simply have to hold out, and hope that the sun may rise once again upon our land. Night rules over us all, but we hope that Day will reign over Draka once again. To be continued Category:Fiction